Rohit Sharma creates history, becomes oldest man to play ODIs for India

Former India captain Rohit Sharma etched his name in the record books after becoming the oldest male cricketer to represent India in One-Day Internationals. Rohit achieved the feat during the rain-curtailed first ODI against Afghanistan on Saturday, June 13 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

At 39 years and 75 days, Rohit surpassed the long-standing record held by former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath, who was 39 years and 36 days old when he played his final ODI for India in 1989. The milestone is another remarkable achievement in Rohit’s illustrious international career, which has already seen him become one of the most successful captains and batters in Indian cricket history.

However, Rohit is not the oldest



Indian overall to feature in an ODI. That record belongs to former India women’s fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who played her farewell ODI against England at Lord’s in 2022 at the age of 39 years and 303 days. Notably, no Indian cricketer has represented the country in ODIs beyond the age of 40.

Rohit had to endure a lengthy wait before taking the field, with persistent rain delaying the start of play in Dharamsala. The match, originally scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM, eventually got underway at 5:45 PM, forcing officials to reduce it to a 25-overs-per-side contest.

Rohit is also expected to be part of India’s ODI World Cup campaign next year. If he features in the tournament, he could become the first Indian cricketer to play ODI cricket beyond the age of 40.